Hill climbing

[Tin Pot]

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/horse-for-the-course-fixed-gear-hill-climb-bike-49027/

Stumbled across this article with two videos, while trying to convince myself I could climb 20% gradient on a single speed. This is fixed and pretty cool imo.

 

[3narf]

I've done a couple of pretty sharp climbs near where I used to live in The Peak. I was doing a lot of commuting at the time and it wasn't difficult; don't think I could do it now though.

 

[derrick]

We have a couple of guys in the club who have done hill climbs on a fixie. and they have done really well on them. Just a case of getting it geared right.

 

[Tin Pot]

We have a couple of guys in the club who have done hill climbs on a fixie. and they have done really well on them. Just a case of getting it geared right.

That’s how it was done in the old days, pick your gear before the race and just hammer it

 

[biggs682]

We have a couple of guys in the club who have done hill climbs on a fixie. and they have done really well on them. Just a case of getting it geared right.

or you could use a double fixed hub and have 2 different size cogs on each side and carry a chain splitter and swap over when it gets hilly , but that seems a lot of faffing around to me

 

[Ming the Merciless]

or you could use a double fixed hub and have 2 different size cogs on each side and carry a chain splitter and swap over when it gets hilly , but that seems a lot of faffing around to me

No need to split the chain, just move the position of the wheel in the horizontal dropouts.

 

[biggs682]

No need to split the chain, just move the position of the wheel in the horizontal dropouts.

as long as enough leeway

 

[XC26]

I use my 48T x 17T single speed on some fairly nasty hills. It’s OK if the hill is not too long - steep but short is fine so long as you don’t stop because you may not be able start again while still on the gradient. A steepish longer hill usually has me walking, not just because of the inability to push the pedals down anymore but also because of the strain on my hands and arms heaving upwards on the bars in order to get more weight onto the pedals.

I solved this on my other single speed by fitting a 2 speed kick shift hub and using a 44x18T combo. This setup offers me the best of both worlds, I can climb most hills and make good speed on the flats. For the extra weight, it’s worth it and it can easily be swapped in/out for a single speed wheel as the 2 speed kick shift hub requires no gear levers or cables.